Mind blowing Facts, Information & Articles

These are just some of the intrepid women who went where no other women- or in some cases, no man had gone before.

French novelist Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 days inspired American journalist Nellie Bly (real name Elizabeth Cochrane (1864-1922) otbeat this time. She set out in 1889, and returned to New York on 25 January 1890- a record round the world trip of 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

Amelia Earhart (USA, 1898-1937) became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932.

Sheila Scott (UK, 1927-88) was the first woman to fly round the world solo, in 1971. She was also the first woman to pilot a plane over the North Pole.

Clare Francis (UK, 1946-) became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic in 1973.

Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (USSR, 1937-) was the first woman in space. She went into orbit on 16 June 1963.

Ellen MacArthur (UK, 1978-) set a new world record for the fastest single-handed, round the world voyage of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes, 33 seconds, on 7 February 2005.